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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Pa Sport Staff

Talking points ahead of Scotland’s clash with Spain

PA Wire

Scotland take on Spain in the second of their 2024 Euro qualifying double-header at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.

The Scots began their campaign with an encouraging 3-0 win over bottom seeds Cyprus on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points ahead of the visit of La Roja.

An unusually good start to a qualifying campaign

The victory over Cyprus was the first opening day win in a Euro qualifying campaign since a 6-0 victory over the Faroe Islands at Celtic Park in 2006.

In previous Euro campaigns it has felt like Scotland almost immediately had to play catch-up but three points is a solid if expected start to Group A fixtures.

Top seeds Spain, who beat Norway 3-0 at home on Saturday night, will of course be tougher opponents but manager Steve Clarke knows a positive result will offer even more encouragement going into June’s double-header against Norway and Georgia.

Scott McTominay to start?

The Manchester United midfielder came off the bench on Saturday to secure the points for Clarke’s side.

John McGinn’s first-half strike separated the two sides but it was getting a little nervy until McTominay showed his finishing prowess with two strikes from inside the box in the final minutes.

Clarke started with a 3-4-3 formation with attacking midfielders Stuart Armstrong and McGinn supporting Che Adams.

Callum McGregor is a fixture in the holding midfield area so if there is any change to the more defensive-minded playmakers then it likely that Ryan Jack will make way for McTominay.

Che Adams to be replaced by Lyndon Dykes?

The Southampton attacker dropped out of the squad with a calf knock picked up against Cyprus and Clarke admitted the loss was a “blow”.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland was drafted in as a replacement on Sunday but will almost certainly start on the bench.

Clarke also has Ryan Christie and Jacob Brown in his squad but Dykes, recently recovered from a debilitating bout of pneumonia, took over from Adams on Saturday and is likely to start against Spain.

The QPR striker has scored eight times in 27 international games – including winners against the likes of Slovakia, Moldova and Austria – but a goal against the Spanish would endear him further to the Tartan Army.

Does Clarke play three at the back again?

Defence will be key to a positive result against Spain. Clarke played three centre-backs against Cyprus – Ryan Porteous, Grant Hanley and Kieran Tierney – which allowed him to use the Arsenal defender along with captain Andrew Robertson.

The former Kilmarnock, Reading and West Brom manager may well be pondering a return to a back four against Spain but would that include Tierney as one of the two centre-backs? 

Moreover, will Clarke be tempted to replace the youngest member of the squad, 20-year-old Aaron Hickey, who had a fine game at right-back against Cyprus, with Nathan Patterson who was his replacement after 79 minutes on Saturday?

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